Sega Dreamcast repair With GDEMU, PSU and Battery Mod

To see if the unit is compatible, the installation instructions recommend to look for a “single digit in a circle, next to the region designation on the back sticker”. Well, there is no digit on this Dreamcast:Sega Dreamcast GDEMU 02

Another way to tell is a stamped “3.3V” on the GD-ROM drive assembly. Guess we are lucky:Sega Dreamcast GDEMU 03

There is a thread in the ASSEMbler board with helpful hints regarding software and compatible memory cards.
It also warns that the Dreamcast will now overheat and crash while playing games. I didn’t experience any crashes but noticed right away that the left side of the unit gets pretty hot. A suggested solution was to direct the air to the fan with a strip of paper.Sega Dreamcast GDEMU 07Sega Dreamcast GDEMU 08

While the Dreamcast is disassembled let’s fix the rechargeable battery that died – again. You can use rechargeable coin cells like ML2032 or LIR2032. It’s your choice to go for more expensive cells with solder tabs or regular cells and a three-legged cell holder.
Do NOT use regular CR2032 cells – there is a mod for this though.Sega Dreamcast Battery 01Sega Dreamcast Battery 02Sega Dreamcast Battery 03